How should you cross an uneven pavement edge a few centimetres high?

As close to 90 degrees as possible

At a shallow angle to ease onto it

At full throttle to jump the edge

Parallel to the edge until it ends

When is a road especially slippery in rain?

In the first half hour after a long dry spell

Only when the temperature is below zero

After several hours of steady rain

Your motorcycle weaves as you cross a steel bridge grating. What should you do?

Slow down and let the bike take its course

Grip hard and steer firmly against the weaving

Stand up and accelerate across it

Brake hard until the weaving stops

BC Class 6 / 8 Motorcycle overview

BC Class 6 / 8 Motorcycle: Night, weather, road surfaces and cargo

Fog, rain, glare and night riding, headlight rules, gravel, uneven pavement, railway tracks, slippery surfaces, ice, hydroplaning, crowned and banked roads, crosswinds and carrying cargo.

No sign-up
Every answer explained
Independent · not a government site

20 questions
Topic drill

0/20

Night, weather, road surfaces and cargo · Question 1Score 0/0

You are blinded by low sun glare. What should you do?

Tip: press 1–4 to answer and Enter for the next question.

Study reference: Learn to Ride Smart (ICBC, March 2026 edition), Ch. 9 Challenging riding conditions — Reduced vision and visibility, reduced traction, road design, turbulence and crosswinds, carrying cargo, pp. 129–142

All 20 questions in this test

Every question and its answer choices. The correct answers and explanations appear when you take the test above.

You are blinded by low sun glare. What should you do?
1. Speed up to get out of the glare
2. Close your eyes for a moment until the glare passes
3. Slow down and look down and to the sides
4. Look straight at the light to adjust
How should you cross an uneven pavement edge a few centimetres high?
1. At a shallow angle to ease onto it
2. As close to 90 degrees as possible
3. At full throttle to jump the edge
4. Parallel to the edge until it ends
When is a road especially slippery in rain?
1. Only when the temperature is below zero
2. After several hours of steady rain
3. Only on gravel roads
4. In the first half hour after a long dry spell
Within what distance of another vehicle must you dim your high beam?
1. 150 metres
2. 500 metres
3. 300 metres
4. 50 metres
Your motorcycle weaves as you cross a steel bridge grating. What should you do?
1. Grip hard and steer firmly against the weaving
2. Stand up and accelerate across it
3. Brake hard until the weaving stops
4. Slow down and let the bike take its course
How fast should you ride in fog?
1. At the posted speed limit
2. Fast enough to get out of the fog quickly
3. Slow enough to stop within the distance you can see
4. At the speed of the car ahead
Which part of a road usually ices up first?
1. Bridges and overpasses
2. Gravel shoulders
3. Roads beside buildings
4. Sunny straight sections
What is the 'load triangle'?
1. The triangle reflector fixed to cargo
2. The rack behind the passenger's seat
3. The area between the two axles and your head
4. The space under the fuel tank and seat
You are about to ride onto gravel. What should you do with the brakes?
1. Brake hard once you are on the gravel
2. Release them just before reaching the gravel
3. Lock the rear wheel to scrub off speed
4. Use only the front brake on the gravel
Your steering suddenly feels very light in heavy rain. What is happening and what should you do?
1. A flat front tire; brake hard at once
2. Normal rain grip; keep the same speed
3. Hydroplaning; roll off, don't brake or turn
4. Engine failure; squeeze the clutch
What is the safe angle range for crossing railway tracks?
1. Parallel to the rails
2. Any angle at low speed
3. 45 to 90 degrees
4. 10 to 30 degrees
How should cargo be carried for the best stability?
1. Low, close to the centre and evenly spread
2. Hung on one side so it's easy to reach
3. Strapped to your back in a large bag
4. High on the rear rack for easy access
What is a decreasing-radius curve?
1. A curve that sits on a hill crest
2. A curve that gets sharper as you go through it
3. A curve with a steeply banked surface
4. A curve that opens up toward the exit
In a strong crosswind from your left, what should you do?
1. Sit upright and speed up
2. Ride on the right edge of the lane
3. Lean away from the wind, to the right, and speed up
4. Lean the motorcycle into the wind, to the left
On a slippery road, how much stopping distance should you allow?
1. Twice the normal distance
2. Four times the normal distance
3. The normal distance
4. Half the normal distance
Which headlight beam should you use in fog or heavy rain?
1. High beam with flashers
2. No headlight
3. Low beam
4. High beam
What does 'overriding your headlight' mean?
1. Flashing the headlight before you pass
2. Riding with one of the two headlight bulbs burnt out
3. Using the high beam on city streets
4. Riding too fast to stop within the lit area
When does B.C. law require your headlight to be on?
1. Only on highways outside towns and cities
2. 30 min after sunset to 30 min before sunrise
3. Only when it is raining, snowing or foggy in daytime
4. Only from midnight to 5 a.m. each night
To avoid glare from oncoming headlights at night, where should you glance?
1. At the right edge of the road
2. At your speedometer
3. At the centre line
4. Straight into the lights
What is a clue that black ice may be on the road?
1. The lane markings look brighter than usual
2. Steam rises from the road
3. The road looks grey-white
4. The asphalt looks shiny and black

Night, weather, road surfaces and cargo: key rules to remember

Our summary of what the official handbook says on this topic, in our own words. Read it before or after the practice questions above, then check the original chapter. Read the official chapter ↗

Fog, rain, glare and night, pp. 129–132

Mist, fog, heavy rain, glare and low light are always more dangerous for motorcyclists than for drivers; in heavy fog or snow, choosing not to ride is a smart decision.
Losing sight of the horizon in fog can make it hard to keep the motorcycle stable and upright.
In rain, mist or fog: wear bright reflective gear, keep the faceshield, goggles and windshield clean, use fog lights, scan more often, slow so you can stop within the distance you can see, leave more following distance, use the tail lights ahead as a guide, keep away from oncoming traffic and parked cars, and pull well off the road to park.
Use the low beam in fog or heavy rain; the high beam reflects off the moisture and causes glare.
Riders can't pull off sunglasses entering a tunnel; slow down and scan ahead before a tunnel on a bright day.
Blinded by glare: slow down and look down and to the sides; use sunglasses in daytime.
At night your single headlight can be lost among other lights and distances are hard to judge.
Headlight required by law from 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise, and whenever you can't see at least 150 m; newer motorcycles keep it on whenever the engine runs.
Dim the high beam within 150 m of another vehicle, whether meeting or following it.
Overriding the headlight means riding too fast to stop within the lit distance; in curves the leaned headlight lights less road, so slow more.
At night: no tinted faceshield or goggles, avoid scratched ones, wear reflective gear, keep the headlight clean and aimed, glance at the right edge of the road to avoid oncoming glare, slow down and widen following distance and side margins.
If one headlight beam burns out, use the other to get safely off the road.

Reduced traction: gravel, irregular surfaces and tracks, pp. 133–136

Scan far ahead for poor surfaces; if you can't avoid one, slow down and avoid sudden moves.
Before gravel: roll off the throttle smoothly, release the brakes just before you reach the gravel to avoid a lock-up, keep a steady speed and the bike upright, grip firmly, brake gently and leave extra stopping room.
Riding off-road and back on public roads at night requires a headlight; the bike must be road-legal to ride there.
Uneven pavement edges higher than a couple of centimetres (e.g. in work zones): cross at an angle as close to 90 degrees as possible.
Crossing grooves or bridge gratings may make the bike weave; slow down and let it track.
Wet wooden planks are very slippery.
Going from one surface level to another, rise slightly off the seat with weight on the footpegs.
Railway tracks: ride straight across in your lane; if the tracks are at a sharp angle, cross as close to 90 degrees as you can (45–90 degrees is safe), setting up well ahead without angling into oncoming traffic.
Keep the bike upright on tracks; brake or shift before crossing; wood and metal can be slick.
Tracks running nearly parallel to your path: stay well away; to cross, make a quick, sharp turn at about 45 degrees.

Slippery surfaces, snow, ice and hydroplaning, pp. 136–137

Watch for mud, wet leaves, painted markings, oil and fuel, sand and gravel.
The first half hour of rain after a long dry spell is especially slippery as oil and dust form a film that later washes away.
Black ice forms from moisture freezing on the road and is usually invisible; shiny black asphalt is a warning sign.
Shaded spots stay icy longer; bridges and overpasses ice before other roads; intersections ice up quickly; wooden surfaces turn dangerous with any frost or wet.
Frost on parked car windshields suggests slippery roads.
Ice and snow are the most dangerous riding conditions; avoid them; if caught, stay upright, go as slowly as possible and skim your feet if needed.
On slippery roads: slow down, avoid sudden speed changes, leave more following distance, allow twice the normal stopping distance, brake early and gently with both brakes, brake only when upright, and avoid the centre grease strip unless it is the only dry part.
Watch your footing when you stop on oil, fuel or paint.
Hydroplaning: tires float on water and you lose steering and braking; the steering suddenly feels light.
Prevent it with good tread and correct pressure and by slowing in heavy rain; if it starts, roll off the throttle and don't brake or turn.
Avoid standing water; it may hide hazards.

Road design, wind and cargo, pp. 138–142

Crowned roads are higher in the centre; on straights they can make you drift, and on curves you may be leaning into the crown with less margin, so a footpeg or stand can drag.
Most curves are banked (inside edge lower), but not all, and not equally; slow down before the curve.
Turning across a hill's slope reduces your lean margin like a crowned curve; slow down.
A decreasing-radius curve gets tighter; slow before it, avoid braking in it, and countersteer or lean more.
Lower advisory speeds on curve signs mean sharper curves; if you misjudge a curve, look where you want to go and steer at a steady speed.
Multiple curves: slow down and countersteer one way, then the other.
Gusts are common at tunnel and bridge ends, between tall buildings and on exposed roads; large fast vehicles create strong turbulence that can push you, and other light vehicles, off course.
In wind: lean forward to reduce wind resistance, grip firmly, lean into the wind (wind from the left, lean left), slow down, ride in the centre of the lane, and give passing trucks extra side room; if crosswinds are severe, stop riding.
Crosswinds hit twice: when they start and when they stop, e.g. at gaps in trees.
Carry cargo only with saddlebags, a luggage rack, a tank bag or mounted boxes.
The load triangle runs between the two axles and the rider's head; keep cargo low, centred, evenly spread and inside it.
Respect weight limits, adjust the suspension, keep forks and shocks clear, secure the load, check tire pressure and headlight aim, and keep cargo away from hot parts.

Study the Night, weather, road surfaces and cargo rules as flashcards →